Simonis Lab

Translational Immunology in Infectious Diseases

Research Endeavour

Our research team is dedicated to advancing our current understanding of host-pathogen interactions and to innovating novel strategies against a range of bacterial pathogens. A key aspect of our focus involves exploring the human immune response to develop targeted and immunomodulatory therapies. These targeted therapies function independently of conventional antibiotic resistance mechanisms, thus paving the way for the implementation of cutting-edge treatments against infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria in clinical care.

Our Research

Selected Publications

  • Simonis A, Theobald SJ, Koch AE, Mummadavarapu R, Mudler JM, Pouikli A, Göbel U, Acton R, Winter S, Albus A, Holzmann D, Albert MC, Hallek M, Walczak H, Ulas T, Koch M, Tessarz P, Hänsel-Hertsch R, Rybniker J. Persistent epigenetic memory of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination in monocyte-derived macrophages. Mol Syst Biol. 2025 Apr;21(4):341-360.
  • Albus A, Kreer C, Klein F, Rybniker J, Simonis A. Protocol for developing Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III secretion system-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies from human B cells. STAR Protoc. 2024 Dec 20;5(4):103440. 
  • Simonis A*, Kreer C*, Albus A, Rox K, Yuan B, Holzmann D, Wilms JA, Zuber S, Kottege L, Winter S, Meyer M, Schmitt K, Gruell H, Theobald SJ, Hellmann AM, Meyer C, Ercanoglu MS, Cramer N, Munder A, Hallek M, Fätkenheuer G, Koch M, Seifert H, Rietschel E, Marlovits TC, van Koningsbruggen-Rietschel S, Klein F, Rybniker J. Discovery of highly neutralizing human antibodies targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Cell. 2023 Nov 9;186(23):5098-5113.e19. 
  • Theobald SJ*, Simonis A*, Mudler JM, Göbel U, Acton R, Kohlhas V, Albert MC, Hellmann AM, Malin JJ, Winter S, Hallek M, Walczak H, Nguyen PH, Koch M, Rybniker J.
    Spleen tyrosine kinase mediates innate and adaptive immune crosstalk in SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination. EMBO Mol Med. (2022);14(8):e15888.
  • Theobald SJ*, Simonis A*, Georgomanolis T, Kreer C, Zehner M, Eisfeld HS, Albert MC, Chhen J, Motameny S, Erger F, Fischer J, Malin JJ, Gräb J, Winter S, Pouikli A, David F, Böll B, Koehler P, Vanshylla K, Gruell H, Suárez I, Hallek M, Fätkenheuer G, Jung N, Cornely OA, Lehmann C, Tessarz P, Altmüller J, Nürnberg P, Kashkar H, Klein F, Koch M, Rybniker J.
    Long-lived macrophage reprogramming drives spike protein-mediated inflammasome activation in COVID-19. EMBO Mol Med (2021);13(8):e14150.
  • Eisfeld HS, Simonis A, Winter S, Chhen J, Ströh LJ, Krey T, Koch M, Theobald SJ, Rybniker J.
    Viral Glycoproteins Induce NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Pyroptosis in Macrophages. Viruses (2021);13(10):2076.
  • von Ambüren J, Schreiber F, Fischer J, Winter S, van Gumpel E, Simonis A*, Rybniker J*.
    Comprehensive Host Cell-Based Screening Assays for Identification of Anti-Virulence Drugs Targeting Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella Typhimurium. Microorganisms (2020);8(8):1096.
Simonis Lab

Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC)
Department I of Internal Medicine
University Hospital of Cologne
Robert-Koch-Str. 21
50931 Cologne
Germany

ag-simonis[@]uk-koeln.de
+49 221 89614 / +49 221 89609
www.simonis-lab.cmmc-uni-koeln.de

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Center for molecular medicine Cologne
University of Cologne University of Cologne University Hospital of Cologne